


when in the midst of many people

by peachjuho



Category: SF9 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, M/M, Vampires, youngbin and jaeyoon are mentioned but there's no real appearance i'm so sorry ;n;
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-10-13
Packaged: 2019-01-16 20:25:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12350061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachjuho/pseuds/peachjuho
Summary: hwiyoung is somewhat of a prodigal sorcerer who's also incredibly socially inept. somehow he needs to figure out how he's going to get a vial of vampire venom. his best friend (the literal spawn of satan) has a solution.





	when in the midst of many people

**Author's Note:**

> based on the prompt (but it's been twisted a lot!);
>
>> "You’re a vampire and I’m a witch, we both go to this private school in New England that has a small population of supernatural students. We meet because I need a vile of vampire venom for a potion and my demon best friend said you’re the person to talk to."

“Hair of an elf.”

Hwiyoung holds his breath as the ingredient is dropped in. It doesn’t even make a splash. The light green potion spits, and for a moment, Hwiyoung has a terrifying thought that he’s gone and done something wrong.

Then it sizzles, and he breathes out. Tendrils of steam rise up from the pot, twirling and twisting in front of his eyes like a dancer. Hwiyoung’s pretty sure he’s slowly going crazy after having been at this for an hour. He nearly forgets to put it in the next ingredient, but a hissing noise snaps him out of his reverie.

“Crushed mint leaves.”

As Hwiyoung gently stirs counter-clockwise, the liquid slowly turns into a shimmering colour that’s reminiscent of the blue sky. Because of course, on the _one day_ Hwiyoung absolutely has to be inside, the weather is actually great. He sighs once more, thinking of the cool breeze and warm sun on his skin. If he closes his eyes, he can almost imagine it.

It’s a few more minutes of silence before he steps back, admiring his work. He heaves a great sigh and wipes the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand.

“At least that’s done for now.”

Chani hasn’t said a word since the process had started. When Hwiyoung finally says something that’s not an ingredient, he looks up from the book he’s reading intently. He cocks his head to the side. “What else do you have to do?”

“Let me see… It has to settle for thirty days, then it’s supposed to turn dark blue…” Hwiyoung trails off as he peers at his potion book closely. “What is _this_?”

“Hm?”

He thinks he might be about to cry. “It says I need to stir in a vial of vampire venom.”

His endlessly supportive best friend nearly bursts out laughing at the stricken look on Hwiyoung’s face, and the way he visibly deflates. Chani manages to contain himself, and only cracks a cheeky smile. “Well, it should be easy enough to get it, not like there’s a vampire shortage.”

The elder frowns, his forehead creasing with wrinkles.

Chani rolls his eyes. “Can’t you get something from Dawon-hyung’s storeroom?”

Hwiyoung stares blankly before he visibly perks up, his downturned lips easily replaced by a grin. “That’s true! I forgot.”

 

 

 

 

 

“What do you mean, you don’t have any left?” Hwiyoung whines before he can catch himself.

Dawon dusts off his hands on his apron, and turns around to meet Hwiyoung’s wide eyes. He spreads his hands out, revealing nothing. “There’s just none left.”

The hopeful look on Hwiyoung is gone, and he stares open-mouthed at his teacher. There’s no way Professor Lee could _run out_ of the thing he _really_ needs.

“Unfortunately I’m not allowed to ask for any from the students.” The professor mumbles something under his breath about how _it’d be so much more easier_ and squints at his calendar. “I ordered it last week so the next shipment is supposed to come in about five weeks.”

Hwiyoung wants to bury himself in a hole.

“But that’s more than a month from now! Can’t it come faster? We literally live with magic–”

Dawon shoots a stern look to his student. “You _know_ there’s some things you have to handle with care. Venom is _always_ volatile, especially from a vampire.”

Hwiyoung scrunches up his nose in distaste. He knows well enough, from stories his family has told him while growing up. But, what’s the point of having magic and the supernatural if they can’t even make things appear instantly?

Dawon pats him on the shoulder. “I’m sorry Hwiyoung. It’s either you ask one of the students, or wait the five weeks.”

The blond thanks his teacher and pouts as he leaves the room. He grumbles under his breath quietly as he walks back to his dorm.

Hwiyoung knows this particular hallways is devoid of people, so his eyes widen when he sees someone walking towards him.

It’s a boy, tall and blond, with confidence in the way he carries himself.

Hwiyoung squashes down the thing that flutters in his chest as the boy smiles at him without saying a word, and he just about sprints all the way back to the safety of his room.

 

 

 

 

 

The thing about Hwiyoung is that he is beyond _terrified_ of the supernatural creatures in his school. There’s a small number of them, but altogether they make up just about fifteen percent of the Academy’s population.

It’s totally ironic, since he _is_ one of those supernatural creatures (well technically he’s human, except magical), and his best friend is the literal spawn of Satan with little horns poking out of his head and everything.

To be more correct, he’s not _afraid_ -afraid. He’s actually just terrified of new people, especially if they’re attractive. The creatures who have a tendency to sprout extra appendages (whether it be wings or horns) or turn into a wolf every now and again just _happen_ to usually be incredibly attractive too. Must be a supernatural ability.

Unfortunately right now, he’s seriously desperate. The potion is supposed to be for his final term project for Potions and Hwiyoung is _convinced_ that Inseong (no, Professor Kim) has it out for him.

Somehow or other, Professor Kim must’ve used up all the vampire venom in Professor Lee’s storage, so Hwiyoung would be forced to talk to new people. It would honestly fit with his elder cousin’s character and tendency to shove Hwiyoung out of his comfort zone.

“Youngkyunnie, Chani can’t be your only friend,” is the probably the most memorable quote from his nine-tailed relative. (He remembers his reply was something completely disregarding the comment and something more along the lines of, “You’re supposed to only call me by my _official_ name.”)

Maybe he’s overthinking it. But still.

 

 

 

 

 

“So you’re going to ask one of the vampires?” Chani asks.

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” Hwiyoung sighs, his body shriveled up in defeat. He clutches onto his pillow like a lifeline. “How many vampires do we have at school?”

“Well, we only have two,” Chani says, counting off on his fingers. “Zuho, and your number one love, Taeyang. Take your pick.” He waggles his fingers at Hwiyoung, who turns pale in horror.

“Only those two?”

“Yes?”

“But…”

Okay so, he knew they were both vampires, so he’s not exactly shocked. And realistically, he knows neither of them are that bad. After all, he’s always gushing over Taeyang.

Taeyang, with his reputation for having a sunny disposition, even if his vampirism is slightly _less_ known about. It’s not something that one would expect but again, there shouldn’t be much surprise. The supernatural world just loves to be full of irony, since vampires can hardly go out into the sun unless they’re masochists who enjoy getting burnt to a crisp. Even though he knows, the ideas of vampire and Taeyang has never quite reconciled in his mind.

The idea of Zuho being a vampire settles a lot better in his head, maybe because he fits the image of a stereotypical, brooding vampire so much better. Hwiyoung’s advanced a level so he shares a Warding class with the elder, though they’ve never spoken a word to each other. Rowoon claims he’s actually a shy baby.

It’s just because… well, attractive people make him nervous, damnit. He stumbles over his words and mixes them up and generally makes a fool of himself. He prefers not to talk to people if he can help it. Zuho and Taeyang are literally the embodiment of Hwiyoung’s biggest (and most irrational, bar the first one) fears. A whole nerve-wracking combination of new, supernatural creature, and terrifyingly good-looking.

His knees feel weak at the thought of talking to one of them.

This is really his worst nightmare. (Maybe he’s being a _little_ dramatic.)

Chani sniffs. “You’re gonna have to ask one of them. I’d tell you to go to Taeyang, since he’s from one of the Families. It’ll be a chance to _finally_ speak to him too.”

He stretches out on his bed, fluffing up his pillow. He’s suddenly reminded him of Pandi at home. It tugs at his heart a little. He misses his cat a lot.

Hwiyoung snorts, ignoring the second half of what Chani said. The Old Families are a scary enough concept to Hwiyoung, even if he’s part of one of the Old Lines. (In a brief thought, he wonders why there’s such an obsession with being _Old_. Don’t most want to be young?)

Instead, he buries his nose deep into his potion book. Yeah, maybe he can escape it. “Not if I can help it.”

His best friend waits for a while before he says, “You need to finish that potion though.”

“Since when did you become a voice of reason?” Hwiyoung shoots back. “I thought devils were supposed to dissuade me from doing the right thing.”

“Look at Jaeyoon-hyung.” Chani shrugs and points to himself. “I may as well be an angel with how good-looking I am.”

Hwiyoung groans and falls face-first in his pillow.

 

 

 

 

 

A whole week. Seven days and seven nights pass by in the blink of an eye, and Hwiyoung still has absolutely no progress on getting any further with his quest to get vampire venom.

He keeps putting it off when he just _knows_ he shouldn’t. The faster he gets it, the less he has to worry about after all. But in the meanwhile, he’s been gathering more information on the two seniors and weighing out his options on which would be less riskier to approach.

Ultimately, he decides to talk to Zuho first. The other may look intimidating, but at least his vampire mannerisms seem like they’d be a bit more predictable that Taeyang. Hwiyoung doesn’t think he’s ever seen an Undead as happy-go-lucky as someone named after the sun. That, and well, damned he’d be if he went to speak to the most attractive guy he knows.

“I’ll do it tomorrow,” he says to no-one. He manages to work himself up and convince himself that he will.

They do share a class after all, so surely it’d be easier.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s really not.

Hwiyoung freezes up the moment he steps into the Warding classroom and Zuho’s in the back row, sitting beside Rowoon. The vampire is bent over his desk, recently dyed red hair falling into his face.

Rowoon smiles and waves at him, clueless of the anxious running through Hwiyoung’s mind.

He’s stuck, like an idiot, in the middle of the doorway. His eyes are wide, unblinking, and his feet are glued to the ground. He can’t move.

 _Help_ , is what he wants to scream. This is a lot harder than he anticipated.

A voice comes from behind him. “Hwiyoung, are you okay?”

Hwiyoung slowly turns around. Professor Kim (not his cousin, but the one his cousin and Jaeyoon-hyung are dating) is standing outside the door with a kind, if a little confused, expression on his face. That’s when he realises he’s blocking other people from entering the classroom.

“I’m,” he searches for a word. “Just great.” Hwiyoung blinks. “I’m just.” He slowly steps backwards, talking himself through his actions. “I’m just about to go and… sit down. That’s right.”

The entire class is staring at him and Hwiyoung desperately wants something to swallow him up. He seems to feel like that a lot these days.

He shoots a nervous smile at Rowoon and takes his seat beside his older friend. He leans over and whispers, “Are you going to ask?”

Hwiyoung doesn’t question how Rowoon knows. Chani, no doubt, would’ve let slip something to the taller boy. After all, he’s friends with the vampire, that Hwiyoung’s about to ask a favour from, even though they’re pretty much strangers. He just doesn’t get why Rowoon can’t ask for him.

It seems like Life doesn’t want to make itself easy for Hwiyoung.

He pulls a face. “I have to.”

“Do it now,” Rowoon urges. “Before Professor Kim starts teaching.”

Hwiyoung sucks in a breath. He was planning to do it after class, so if Zuho rejected him, at least he could run away and pretend it never happened.

“Um, Zuho.” Rowoon leans back in his chair, while at the sound of his name, the vampire looks up. Hwiyoung looks at the vampire’s grey eyes and steels himself.

He tells himself it’s now or never.

The words spill out of his mouth in such a rush, that it’s a whole jumble of sounds. He’s not even sure what he said, never mind whether Rowoon and Zuho could understand him.

His seniors blink at him. “Would you mind repeating that again? But, slower?”

Hwiyoung breathes out, like he’s letting all of his dignity leaving his body. He no longer knows what shame is. “I know we’re not friends, but I was wondering if you’d let me have a vial of your venom.”

Zuho regards him suspiciously. “What do you want it for?”

“My finals for Potions,” he explains. “Professor Kim set me a really gross one that needs a whole two months or something to brew and I really need a vial of vampire venom.”

Zuho looks thoughtful, then a teasing smile blooms on his face. "Oh, not a top secret sorcerer thing?”

Hwiyoung’s face falls flat. “Unfortunately not.”

“Disappointing.”

“So um,” he hesitates. “Would you?”

“Yeah, why not?” Zuho hums.

Hwiyoung nearly faints with relief.

 

 

 

 

 

But, of course, the world loves to conspire against the young sorcerer and Zuho’s venom isn’t _suitable_ enough.

“Your venom isn’t potent enough.”

Hwiyoung looks up from the vial in his hands, warm from the black venom fresh from Zuho. It’s noticeably thicker and less shiny than the venom he’s used to seeing on his mother’s shelves. He’s both flabbergasted, and disappointed. Chani looks bored beyond belief, as if he’d expected it. Where Rowoon looks incredibly concerned, clutching onto Zuho’s arm, the vampire only looks curious with a hint of worry.

“Is there something wrong with me?”

Rowoon sucks in a breath, waiting in anticipation. Chani nearly cracks a smirk and Hwiyoung wonders whether he finds this whole situation hilarious.

“No…” Hwiyoung closes his eyes and curses under his breath. He breathes out. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”

 _Just that everything’s wrong, and I’m going to have to talk to the_ other _vampire_ , is what he doesn’t say.

“Your venom’s not as shiny as a regular full-blooded vampire so it tells me that you probably have human ancestry somewhere in your recent history.” Zuho’s eyebrows shoot up. “Judging by the runniness, I’d guess probably two or so generations back.”

“I think my great-grandmother is human.”

“That would explain it then,” Hwiyoung sighs, holding out the vial to Zuho. “I don’t need this now, so if you want to keep it…”

Zuho nods with a confused look on his face, and hesitantly takes it from Hwiyoung’s outstretched hand. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be much help.”

“It’s okay, I should’ve taken Chani’s advice in the first place.”

He casts a look to his best friend. Chani’s lips fully curl into a wicked smirk, like he knew it was going to be this way all along.

The little devil.

  
  
  
  
  


So there’s another thing about Hwiyoung.

Since he’d first stepped into the private school, he’d _maybe_ harboured a tiny crush on Taeyang. (If that wasn’t obvious enough already.)

Nothing too serious, of course, since there was no way they’d actually talked before, and Hwiyoung didn’t know him personally. Taeyang is just, well, eye candy. It’s because he’s stupidly good-looking, and he’s as bright and sweet to match.

It was honestly, almost like Chani had planned this all along. It was like a huge totally unnecessary, elaborate scheme, that was actually very necessary if he was to ever talk to Taeyang.

Except, even if Chani knew about it, surely he wouldn’t be able to get Inseong into the scheme. After all, Inseong’s supposed to be a respectable professor who doesn’t meddle in the affairs of his students. There’s no way they could’ve been in cahoots with each other.

Unless they figured out something. Their types are cunning and manipulative enough, right? After all, fox spirits and devils? Must be a match made by Chaos itself.

Maybe he’s overthinking it. But still.

 

 

 

 

 

Hwiyoung is incredibly stressed out about his impending doom. His nervousness and anxiety is at an all time high, and he’s worried he’s going to run his mouth off and say something completely mortifying. Somehow he’s convinced Chani to drag Taeyang over to their lunch table, and he can spot them approaching him now.

Quickly, he stands up to greet Taeyang, and there’s more than a few eyes that are drawn towards their table.

Hwiyoung tries to talk slowly and space his words evenly. “Can I talk to you for a moment?” He stares at the space between Taeyang’s eyebrows. He’s read somewhere it gives the illusion of looking into someone’s eyes without actually having to.

“Sure.” Taeyang looks quite confused and Hwiyoung internally cringes at himself.

They shuffle out to the side and Hwiyoung doesn’t need a revealing spell to figure out that more than a few people are trying to eavesdrop on them.

“Could I take some venom from you?”

Taeyang’s aura shifts into something much more defensive, though he maintains his friendly smile. “What for?”

His defensiveness is justified, Hwiyoung supposes. Venom holds much more value if you’re from one of the Old Families. (In hindsight, Hwiyoung thinks about how Zuho was fairly okay about handing over his venom without too much interrogation. He thinks he should’ve been able to guess that it wasn’t going to work.) He sighs.

“I,” he starts, reaching up to touch the back of his head. He’s beginning to feel a bit warm under Taeyang’s gaze. The vampire is much, much better looking up close. His eyes have a certain twinkle, and his cheeks are so cute-

Hwiyoung snaps out of his thoughts before his daydreams lead any further. Shyly, he finishes, “Professor Kim, the fox one, gave me an assignment that needs vampire venom.”

“I’m guessing Professor Lee doesn’t have any, if you’re asking me?”

His senior seems to be taking this a lot better than he expected. Hwiyoung nods. “The next batch is coming in a few weeks, and I asked Zuho-hyung too.”

Taeyang gasps. "I wasn't your first choice?"

Hwiyoung’s eyes widen. "No, no! It's just that I share a class and you-" He stops himself before he says  _are way too attractive for anyone's good_.

"Secretly have your heart?" Taeyang winks. Hwiyoung chokes as Taeyang laughs. "Just joking. Don't worry, no offense taken."

Hwiyoung dies a little on the inside. If only Taeyang knew how close to the truth he was. He somehow manages to cough up the words, "You really will? You're the best!" All with a gummy grin on his face.

Taeyang smiles. “Don’t make me regret it.”

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a few days later, when the pair meet in the hallway during lunch. It’s relatively unused at this time, so it’s empty save for the two of them.

The young sorcerer’s mind is running wild with thoughts of what could happen with a vampire, in an empty hallway.

Taeyang is probably regretting his decision when he hands over the vial to Hwiyoung, who babbles his thanks gratefully and incoherently. Hwiyoung, usually relatively well put together is reduced to a total mess, stutter and all.

After a few minutes of awkward rambling, Taeyang says, “It’s no worries.”

Hwiyoung tries to shut his mouth to no avail. “Really, is there anything I can do? I’m so grateful.”

“Food is always great.” Taeyang’s eyes do the twinkle thing and Hwiyoung’s heart skips a beat.

“Lunch? Not here though, school’s food is great and all but it’s not the best.” Hwiyoung laughs.

Taeyang nods with a little smile quirking at his lips. “That sounds good.”

Hwiyoung’s eyes slide over a little to the left and thinks he spots a redhead he knows very well. Taeyang turns around to look at what Hwiyoung is looking so intently at.

 

 

 

 

 

A different pair, a nine-tailed fox and a horned devil, stand in the stairwell, eavesdropping on Hwiyoung and Taeyang.

“Are they going to do anything?” Chani crosses his arms over his chest. His lips are pulled down at the corners and creases line his forehead.

Inseong bares his fangs at the younger boy. “Knowing those two, my cousin’s gonna make a fool of himself and Taeyang’s going to think he’s cute for it.” He sighs. “But maybe he’ll finally have more friends.”

“A boyfriend, even, if this works out,” Chani snickers.

Inseong shrugs. “We’ll see.”

“Are they- what are they talking about?” Chani squints.

The elder leans his body against the wall, trying to hear their conversation. “Lunch?”

“Together?”

“Oh shit-”

“I think they saw us-”

“Abort mission, abort mission!”

**Author's Note:**

> i've been working on this fic for a while, and i got a bit sick of it so i know the ending may seem rushed ~~because it is~~. i'm planning to come back to this fic and edit/expand on it. one day. (not today.)
> 
> i'd love if you left me a comment if there's something you enjoyed, or something you think i could've improved on! ^^


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